Sue Klebold's son is now infamous for his participation in the Columbine Massacre of 1999, and she and her husband have remained tightlipped about that event ever since it happened. For thirteen years, keeping their heartaches and their opinions under lock and key.
But anybody who's raised children themselves, or who has even an ounce of empathy, can probably imagine the Klebolds' lasting pain, puzzlement, and ambivalence, without them having to go to the effort of expressing it.
Remember, too, that at this point in time the idea of children arming themselves with automatic weapons and showing up at school to slaughter their fellow students was a totally new and unthinkable misdeed. No one, not even law enforcement officials, expected or could have predicted such a bloodbath occurring in their district, let alone picturing their own young sons taking part in it.
Remember, too, that at this point in time the idea of children arming themselves with automatic weapons and showing up at school to slaughter their fellow students was a totally new and unthinkable misdeed. No one, not even law enforcement officials, expected or could have predicted such a bloodbath occurring in their district, let alone picturing their own young sons taking part in it.
Undoubtedly, Dylan Klebold's otherwise normal teenage insecurities and angst left him wide open to be so evilly swayed by his cohort Eric Harris--a raging psychopath, diagnosed as such well before the mass shooting took place. Still, for the damages both teens inflicted on that day, neither Klebold nor Harris will ever be excused or forgiven.
Their aim was too good, and they left so many victims and scars in their wake.
Their aim was too good, and they left so many victims and scars in their wake.
It was a shocking and unprecedented display of violence by young people back then, but, since that day, there have been endless copycat kids following suit. Some younger than Klebold and Harris were, and with no grievances whatsoever but an arsenal of weapons and ammo they'd secretly collected, coupled with a burning desire to outdo their teen predecessors in a sick quest to become equally reknown.
We are, perhaps, somewhat numbed by all of these tragedies by now, even if, god forbid, our own children are the perpetrators, but that was not the case in spring of 1999.
On that April afternoon, when Mrs. Klebold received the shocking news that her son was one of the Columbine shooters, she says she instantly had a vision of him, and, "While every other mother in Littleton was praying that her child was safe, I had to pray that mine would die before he hurt anyone else."
We are, perhaps, somewhat numbed by all of these tragedies by now, even if, god forbid, our own children are the perpetrators, but that was not the case in spring of 1999.
On that April afternoon, when Mrs. Klebold received the shocking news that her son was one of the Columbine shooters, she says she instantly had a vision of him, and, "While every other mother in Littleton was praying that her child was safe, I had to pray that mine would die before he hurt anyone else."
That may sound hard-hearted, but it wasn't.
"I thought that if this was really happening and he survived, he would
go into the criminal justice system and be executed," Klebold's mother explained. "And I really
couldn't bear to lose him twice. I gave the hardest prayer I ever made,
that he would kill himself, because then at least I would know he wanted
to die and wouldn't be left with all the questions I'd have if he got
caught by a police bullet. Maybe I was right, but I've spent so many
hours regretting that prayer: I wished for my son to kill himself, and he
did."
Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris both decided to put a bullet in their heads once they realized they were surrounded by police and SWAT teams, thus ending the bloody seige of their high school in a double suicide.
E.R.
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